Yoga

Everyone knows what yoga is right?-Not everyone. I've asked a lot of people and I get mixed answers. The most common remarks are, "Well that's not really exercising...they're New Age wackos'...it's an Indian thing?" I knew that it had something to do with the body, spirituality and mental well-being of a person. Last weekend I decided to give it a try. I discovered that my flexibility is better than my balance. I could clasp my hands behind my back without the aid of a belt. The instructor could tell that I was new at this. Jyoti applied pressure around my head and shoulders to correct my form. My body is still sore from the exercises. The spiritual part is up to each person. Spiritual understanding and discipline will come with time.
Provena Health defines yoga as this:

Yoga can benefit your health through mind-body interactions. In yoga, you hold poses for varying lengths of time using gravity, leverage, and tension. Breathing techniques are also used. People who want to achieve relaxation, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle often turn to yoga. Here's basic information from AARP (www.aarp.org) to help you decide if yoga is for you and if so, to get you started safely.
Types of Yoga: There are many different forms of this ancient practice. One of the most popular in the United States is hatha yoga, which focuses on breathing and physical movements that improve balance and stretch and strengthen the body. Some forms, such as ashtanga yoga, are much more physically demanding, while others, such as raja yoga, have a more spiritual focus, according to AARP.
Health BenefitsYoga has been shown to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, increase lung capacity, improve muscle relaxation and body composition, cause weight loss, and increase overall physical endurance. Yoga may affect levels of brain or blood chemicals, including monoamines, melatonin, dopamine, stress hormones (cortisol), and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). Changes in mental functions such as attention, cognition, processing of sensory information, and visual perception have been noted in some studies. Other studies indicate that yoga may be beneficial when it is added to standard treatments for several conditions, including anxiety or stress, asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression. Minimal CommitmentOne of the nice things about yoga is that you don't need a lot of time to do it. But to reap the benefits, you need to practice every day.Just 15 minutes of yoga a day will bring results such as
better balance
better flexibility
increased strength
better concentration
relief from stress
more energy
the ability to relax at will

Tonight I'm going to go see Jyoti. I look forward to learing more about yoga.